Phthor: Piers Anthony

Book II of Aton. Arlo, son of Aton, sets himself against the mineral intelligence of his own prison-planet, Chthon, a planet of caverns writhing with insect-armadillian creatures ranging from microscopic to great. The Chthon is invaded by an army of perfectly proportioned Amazons and other creatures fighting for Life. But these beautiful warriors bewilder the forthright Arlo, set as he is at the centre of a monumental struggle between the inorganic planet and the life in which it is clad. Arlo must grapple with the massive mineral intellect that is Chthon, the bizarre forms of Life which are its guests, its enemies and its victims - for the destiny of the whole galaxy rests on his shoulders and his alone...Cover art by Alan Morgan.